Brake beam



June 19, 1956 R. B. COTTRELL ETAL 2,751,051

' BRAKE BEAM Filed March 12, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 19, 1956CQTTRELL r 2,751,051

BRAKE BEAM Filed March 12, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l/ll/ f IN VEN TORS.

BRAKE BEAM Robert B. Cottrell, Chicago, Ill., and Roland T. Leislr, EastChicago, Ind., assignors to American Steel Fonnth ries, Chicago, 111., acorporation of New Jersey Application March 12, 1952, Serial No. 276,182

'7 Claims. (Cl. 188-226.1)

This invention relates to brake beams and is more particularly concernedwith the provision of a truss type beam in which the tension andcompression members, strut and brake heads are in the form of a singlemetal casting of relatively light weight, sturdy construction suitablefor railway service.

This invention further contemplates the provision of a cast truss typebrake beam in which the medial portions of the tension and compressionmembers are of tubular cross section joined together by a strut ofgenerally tubular section, said members converging toward their ends andmerging to define end portions of tubular cross section having brakeheads projecting laterally therefrom.

This invention further contemplates the provision of a cast truss typebrake beam in which intermediate portions of the tension and compressionmembers, between the tubular end portions and their respective tubularmedial portions, are channel-shape in cross section.

This invention further contemplates the provision of a cast truss typebrake beam embodying integral guide lugs on the tubular end portions forsliding engagement within suitable guide brackets commonly provided onthe side frames of railway car trucks.

This invention embodies other novel features, details of constructionand arrangement of parts which are hereinafter set forth in thespecification and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating a cast truss typebrake beam embodying features of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the brake beam.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the brake beam.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 4-4 ofFigure 1.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 5-5 ofFigure 1.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view taken along the line 66 of Figure 2.

Figures 7, 8, 9 and are detail sectional views taken along the lines7--7, 88, 99 and 1ll10 respectively of Figure 1,

Figure 11 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating a modified form ofthe invention in which the cast truss type brake beam embodies guidelugs.

Figure 12 is a front elevational view of same.

Figure 13 is an end elevational view of same, and

Figure 14 is a detail sectional view taken along the line 14-14 ofFigure 13.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of the presentinvention and more particularly to Figures 1 to 10 therein, the trusstype brake beam is shown in the form of a one-piece steel castingcompris ing a cambered compression member 2 of channel or U sectionembodying spaced flanges 4-4 interconnected by a web 6, the flangesconverging from the transverse center line of the beam toward eachextremity thereof, as shown in Figure 2. As the beam is identical onopnited States Patent 6 posite sides of its transverse center line, onlyone end of the beam has been illustrated.

A tension member 8 of channel or U section embodying spaced flanges 1010and a web 12 has its medial portion 14 interconnected to the medialportion 16 of the compression member 2 by means of a strut 18 ofgenerally tubular cross section having a brake lever slot 20 and a pinopening 22. The tension member flanges 10-10 are in vertically spacedparallel relation and project rearwardly toward the compression member,and the flanges 44 on the compression member project forwardly towardthe tension member.

At the medial portion 16 of the compression member 2, the flanges 44merge with the adjacent end of the strut 13 and a rear wall 24, while atthe medial portion 14 of the tension member 8, the flanges 1010 mergewith the strut and a front wall 26. It will thus be noted that themedial portions 14 and 16 are of generally tubular cross section andinterconnected by a strut of generally tubular cross section. Ifdesired, coaxial apertures 28 and 30 may be cored in the walls 24 and26.

At each end of the beam the flanges of the compression and tensionmembers 2 and 8 merge to form top and bottom walls 32 and 34,respectively, of tubular end portions 3636. As shown in Figure 1, thecompression member web 6 forms the back wall 38 of the tubular endportions 3636, and the tension member web 12 forms part of the frontwall 40 of the end portions. The top, bottom, front and rear walls ofeach end portion 36 merge with an end wall 42. A brake head 44 is formedintegral with each end portion 36 and projects forward from the outboardend of the front wall thereof to support a brake shoe (not shown), theheads being formed with conventional lugs and keyways to engage theshoes, and with slots 46 to receive hangers (not shown). Each brake head44 i joined to the top and bottom walls of its related end portion 36 bymeans of reinforcing gussets 43 and 50.

If desired, an aperture 52 may be cored in each end wall 42. The flanges44 and 1010 are also preferably formed with lips 5454 and 5656,respectively, extending along their outer edges to reinforce same.

Figures 11 to 14 illustrate a modified form of the invention in whichthe one-piece, cast, truss type brake beam embodies guide lugs 5858adapted for sliding engagement with an associated support structure,such as brackets, on the side frames of railway car trucks, only half ofthe beam being shown as it is identical in construction on oppositesides of its transverse center line. The guide lugs 58-58 projectoutwardly from their respective tubular end portions 6ll-60 of the beamand each are preferably of hollow construction comprising top and bottomwalls 62 and 64, respectively, merging at their inboard ends with an endwall 66 and brake head 68 and joined together at their outboard ends bya wall 70. The forward edges of the top and bottom walls are connectedby a forward wall 72, and the rearward edges of the top and bottom wallsare connected by a rib or wall 74 spaced from and between the end wall66 and wall 70. The outboard end of the forward wall 72 is spaced fromthe wall 70 to define with the top and bottom walls 62 and 64 an opening76.

in this form of the invention, gussets 78 and 80 are arranged in acommon vertical plane with the end wall 66 to merge with the latter andwith adjacent ends of a brake head 82 formed with a front face 84 fordetachable engagement with a brake shoe (not shown). As this form of theinvention is otherwise similar to the form of the invention describedand illustrated in Figures 1 to 10 in the drawings, correspondingnumbers have been applied to corresponding parts but a further de-Patentecl June 19, 1956 v scription of the structure has been omitted toavoid repetition.

in each form of the invention thus shown and described, it will be notedthat the several sections of the onepiece, cast, brake beam. are formedand arranged to afford maximum strength with minimum weight to meet therequirements of railway service, and this is accomplished by forming themedial and end portions of the beam of tubular sections joined togetherby channel or U sections, and by casting the brake heads and, ifdesired, guide lugs integral with said tubular end portions.

it will thus be seen that with the brake heads integrally formed on thebeam immediately forwardly of the end portions, line of pressure, thatis, a horizontal falling within a central vertical plane passing throughbrake head and er ending transversely of the beam,

tie; formed by the llanges and webs of the tensison and In theembodiment of Figure l .i of pressure will directly intersect the endpor tron, while n the embodiment of Figure ll, this line of 1 pressurewill intersect the end wall 66 of said related end portion with theeffect in each case of distributing the forces normally present againstthe brake head diretly to the beam through the flanges and webs of theend portions.

While this invention has been shown in but two forms, it is ob ions tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limit d but is susceptible ofvarious changes and modifications without departing from the spirit andscope of the claimed invention.

We claim:

l. A brake beam casting comprising tension and compression members ofchannel section having spaced and connecting webs, a tubular strutconnecting members and merging with the flanges thereof cenlly of thebeam, a wall within each end of the strut and merging with adjacentflanges, said members converging toward the ends of the beam and havingtheir ll ages merging to form tubular end portions, brake hes mounted onthe end portions, and vertical end Walls extending transversely of thebeam merging with the outboard edges of the tubular end portions, saidWalls being spaced from the central strut a distance at least equal tothe distance between the strut and the line of pressure of the brakehead.

2. A brake beam casting comprising tension and compression members ofchannel section having spaced flanges and connecting webs, a tubularstrut connecting the members and merging with the flanges thereofcentrally of the beam, a wall within each end of the strut and mergingwith adjacent flanges, said members converging toward the ends of thebeam and having their flanges merging to form tubular end portions,brake heads mounted on the end portions, end walls extendtransversely ofthe beam merging with the outboard edges of the tubular nd portions,said walls being spaced from the central strut a distance at least equalto the distance between the strut and the line of pressure of the brakehead, and a guide lug having its inboard end merging with the outboardface of each end Wall.

3. A brake beam casting comprising tension and compression members ofchannel section having spaced flanges and connecting webs, a tubularstrut connecting the members and merging with the flanges thereofcentrally of the beam, 21 wall within each end of the strut and mergingwith adjacent flanges, said members converging toward the ends of thebeam and having their flanges merging to form tubular end portions, endwalls extending transversely of the beam merging with the outboard edgesof the tubular end portions, and a guide lug having its inboard endmerging with the outboard face of each end wall, a brake head having arear face merging with the adjacent surfaces of a tubular end portionand guide lug, said head being so positioned on the beam that its lineof pressure intersects said end wall.

4. A brake beam casting comprising tension and compression members ofchannel section having spaced flanges and connecting webs, a tubularstrut connecting the members and merging with the flanges thereofcentrally of the beam, a wall within each end of the strut and mergingwith adjacent flanges, said members converging toward the ends of thebeam an having their nges merging to form tubular end portions, endwalls cz'tte g versciy of the beam merging with the outboard edges ofthe tubular end portions, and a guide lug having its inboard end mergingwith the outboard face of each end wall, a bralte head having a rearface n" with the adjacent surfaces of a tubular end porand positioned onthe casting so that intersects the end wall, and upper r gussetscoplanar and merging with said end wall and merging with the rear faceof the brake head.

5. A brake beam casting comprising tension and compression iernbers ofchannel section having spaced flanges and connecting webs, a tubularstrut connecting the members and merging with the flanges thereofcentrally of the beam, a wall within each end of the strut and mergingwith adjacent flanges, said members converging towrd the ends of thebeam and having their flanges merging to form tubular end portions, endwalls mcrg' g with the outboard edges of the tubular end por tions, aguide lug having its inboard end merging with the outboard face of eachend wall, a brake head having a rear face me 'ig with the adjacentsurfaces of a tubular eno portion and guide lug and having its line ofpressure aligned with the related end wall, and upper and lower gussetscoplanar and merging with said end wall and merging with the rear faceof the bralte head, each guide lug comprising spaced top and bottomwalls connected by an outboard wall, a front Wall, and a rear rib.

6. in a truss type brake beam casting comprising tension and compressionmembers of channel section, each having spaced upper and lower flangesand. webs perpendicularly interconnecting the flanges, a tubular strutinterconnecting the members and merging with the flanges centrally ofthe beam, said members converging towards the end of the beam and havingtheir upper and lower flanges, respectively, merging with each other tocomprise end portions, end Walls extending substantially transversely ofthe beam at opposite ends thereof, said webs merging integrally with theend walls, said end portions comprising hollow segments defined by theupper and lower merging flanges, the perpendicular webs, and the endwalls, and brake heads integrally formed on and adjacent opposite endsof the beam and connected directly to the perpendicular webs associatedwith the tension members, whereby said heads are positioned on the beamimmediately forwardly of the related hollow segments.

7. A truss type brake beam casting comprising tension and compressionmembers of channel section, each having spaced upper and lower flangesand perpendicularly related webs interconnecting the flanges, saidmemers converging towards the end of the beam on opposite sides of thetransverse vertical center plane of the beam and having their upper andlower flanges, respectively, merging with each other to comprise hollowend portions, said end portions being defined by the upper and lowermerging flanges, the perpendicularly related webs and end walls whichextend transversely of the beam and integrally connect the webs andflanges, said end walls being approximately parallel to said plane, anda brake head integrally mounted on each end portion in such a positionthat a vertical plane passing centrally through the head will extendtransversely of the beam and be arran ed approximately parallel to saidfirst mentioned plane, each end wall being spaced from the first men- 5tioned plane a linear distance at least equal to the linear 2,499,905distance between the first mentioned plane and the re- 2,500,192 latedsecond mentioned plane.

References Cited in the file of this patent 5 736,239

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,928,360 Muchnic Sept. 26, 1933 6 Cottrell Mar.7, 1950 Leisk Mar. 14, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS France Sept. 13, 1932

